Finlay

CFOTO Comms Lead | MSc Public Policy

[Finlay @finlaytm]

In my article for @Conserva_Tech I argue that recent cuts to Jodrell Bank Observatory could mark a stark warning for ARIA’s continuation, and explain why any cuts to ARIA would be a significant blow to sovereign tech and defence development capabilities.

https://t.co/p7EeHeIlR4

[ConservaTech @Conserva_Tech]

Jodrell Bank should be a warning.

Britain cannot be a science and technology superpower by cutting the institutions that make long-term, high-risk bets on innovation.

ARIA – and its potential pipeline into UK Defence Innovation – must be protected.

Our latest guest blog from @finlaytm👇

https://t.co/bNYuhCPbxf

[Finlay @finlaytm]

@Conserva_Tech @LewisOrmston Really important stuff 👏

[Beff (e/acc) @beffjezos]

EAs think they have a perfect reductionist Bayesian predictive model of the world and despise variance and complexity, as it is an affront to the predictive power of their intellect.

Poetic their newest poster boy got taken down by such variance in a stroke of hubris.

[Finlay @finlaytm]

Both a beautiful island, that often goes under the radar, and an important reminder of the way our coastal communities have helped this nation 👇

[Conservative Friends Of The Ocean @CFOTOCEAN]

The view from Cramond Island, off the coast of Edinburgh, out to the Firth of Forth and beyond 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

A vital military fortress during WW1 and WW2 — Cramond Island is a reminder of the vital role that British coastal communities have played throughout our history 🇬🇧

[Conservative Friends Of The Ocean @CFOTOCEAN]

The view from Cramond Island, off the coast of Edinburgh, out to the Firth of Forth and beyond 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

A vital military fortress during WW1 and WW2 — Cramond Island is a reminder of the vital role that British coastal communities have played throughout our history 🇬🇧

[Jim Shannon MP @JimShannonMP]

This iconic observatory must not be allowed to close. The future of British science, & the retention of our brightest minds, depend on urgent, decisive action. I have written to @UKRI_News & the SoS Jonathan Reynolds MP. I will support any efforts to reverse this decision.

[ConservaTech @Conserva_Tech]

The country that gave the world Newton, Darwin, Turing and Berners-Lee shouldn't be shutting down its largest space telescope.

This is what national decline looks like: not one dramatic moment, but a thousand small decisions that slowly erode our scientific capability, industrial strength and ambition.

We can do better 🇬🇧

[Finlay @finlaytm]

@ChairmanAl @ConHome Thanks for your kind words Mr Chairman Al but I didn’t get AI to write this :)

[Finlay @finlaytm]

We wanted flying cars; we got 140 characters. AI can power us to have both.

New piece on why the next chapter of the AI story is physical, not just digital 👇

AI's Next Chapter Is Physical https://t.co/Y3KbFHZJcK

[Finlay @finlaytm]

Research as seen in university libraries throughout the country

[Tenobrus @tenobrus]

wtf man gpt 5.6 is absolutely rl-fried when it comes to its websearch tool. in the process of searching for graph theory papers it decided to also sneak in Netflix, Steak n Shake, a trip to Universal Studios, and *five* fucking separate dictionary lookups of the word "they"

[Finlay @finlaytm]

@the_olliedean Congrats!

[Ed Hezlet @watt_direction]

I very much agree with @g__j that we need to take a second look at transmission spending - and there are big gains to be had from making the grid smarter and looking again at locational pricing.

But its also worth engaging with the first bit of the @energy_said screenshot that wasn't included. Intermittent generation doesn't displace the need for firm capacity - so you need a lot more grid, and utilisation falls.

That can still work out fine if the intermittent generation is cheap enough, and located close to demand. I prefer to think of intermittent renewables as fuel savers rather than displacing firm generation capacity.

[David Lawrence @dc_lawrence]

This isn't even a worldview thing. It's just a failure to do maths. We lose 3 billion litres a day in leakage from England and Wales alone. That means data centres use less than 0.25% of the amount of water we *leak* every day.

[Finlay @finlaytm]

The Conservatives should make it clear that they are prepared and ready to take on the vested interests of the British state because they have prior knowledge of the exact ways ‘the blob’ will attempt to stop them.

Me for ConHome 👇

[ConservativeHome @ConHome]

From Finlay Thacker-McPherson On state reform the Conservatives must go further and smarter than Reform UK https://t.co/2XqEEisRZb

[ConservativeHome @ConHome]

From Finlay Thacker-McPherson On state reform the Conservatives must go further and smarter than Reform UK https://t.co/2XqEEisRZb

[ConservaTech @Conserva_Tech]

Today we launch our first policy paper ✍️

Strategic Openness: A Conservative Doctrine for Digital Sovereignty 🇬🇧

Britain must never become strategically dependent - even on friendly allies - for the technologies that will shape our economy, security and democracy.

Allies are essential. Dependency is optional.

https://t.co/MS0cSskb1m

[Finlay @finlaytm]

@Conserva_Tech Super interesting stuff - needed now more than ever before

[Matt Day @mattdaytech]

Remember when @Dominic2306 said the Cabinet Office is too powerful?

This is a sad and wrong decision. DSIT is a great department, functioning well and had the confidence of industry.

How often can one say that? This will be bad for growth.

[Finlay @finlaytm]

Beggars belief

[Rowland Manthorpe @rowlsmanthorpe]

Reliably informed that the decision to scrap DSIT originated in the Cabinet Office, where Antonia Romeo wants to have control over AI - although of course it was signed off by Team Burnham, who don't see AI as a major priority

Apparently this goes right back to Starmer's decision to move GDS away from the Cabinet Office and into DSIT

Not just the politicians who play politics